Card feeding system



' Sept. 17, 1963 J. RABlNOW 3,104,054

CARD FEEDING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 2, 1962' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Punch Sela cfion Mecbanisim 1N VENTOR Jacob Rab/now Fig -40 13W; J

v n; M

A TTORNEYS Sept. 17, 1963 J. RABINOW CARD FEEDING SYSTEM Filed Oct. 2, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l I A /a Card ///o Feeder I I 84 a2 a4 1 92 F 62 l 2 u Q 66 68 6'8 50 9a I20 /74 78 I? 7? 78 1 43 g .02 .96 I06 Reducer T a 44 Fig. 5

INVENTOR,

Jacob Rab/now BY I g fi wa ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,104,954 CARD FEEDING SYSTEM Jacob Rabinow, Bethesda, Md assignor to Rabinow Engineering (10., Inc, Roclrville, Md. Filed Get. 2, 1962, Ser. No. 227,9% 9 Claims. (iii. 234-128) This invention relates to card feeding systems and particularly to feeding systems for machines to form punched cards for controlling statistical machines as computers, calculators, sorting machines, etc.

Card punching machines operate in two diiferent modes. The first is to punch one row of the card and then index the card to the next card position to punch the second row, and this procedure is repeated until the card is fully punched. An example of this is described in US. Patent 2,862,555 where the patentee discloses improvements allowing the punching machine to punch cards at the rate of at least 165 cards per minute. The other mode is to punch any one or more holes in any position of the full field (all rows) in a single operation. The I. Rabinow Patient No. 2,732,900 discloses a full field, selective multiple punch machine where row-by-row indexing is not required, and the machine is capable of punching 600 cards per minute. This type of machine presents special problems in feeding and removing the card from the punch station, which do not exist machines which punch cards row-by-row.

When a card is inserted into the punching area of a full-field machine, the entire card (or practically the entire card area) is confined between the set of punches and the die plate so that the usual friction wheels or the equivalent, near or at the discharge end of the throat of the machine cannot be used to withdraw the punched card, as in a row-by-row punching machine. The usual card withdrawing means for removing a punched card from the machine cannot be relied upon, unless they are positioned within the punch area throat. This is not practical for a number of reasons. Primarily, if the full field of the card is to be punched (usually selected portions thereof), there is no room to accommodate feed rollers, belts or the equivalent. Secondly, the die plate and punch set are precision devices and cannot easily have friction-wheel accommodating apertures. Third, the cards are not always in the more familiar business machine form, i.e., made of a single sheet. The assignee hereof constructed several full-field punch machines for card sets. Each set was composed of a card, several tissues and carbon papers. Card sets such as this cannot easily be fed by friction wheels engaging the faces thereof because the carbon substance dirties the tissues and/ or the card member of the set.

In accordance with my invention, I have two card feeding devices, one aligned with the punch throat inlet and the other aligned with the punch throat outlet. The inlet feed device operates slower than the outlet feed device, and these devices coact to feed cards into the throat to the punch position, and to remove the punched cards to be replaced by new cards for the next machine punching cycle. The first card is fed into the punch position within the throat of the punch machine and strikes an abutment which establishes a stop for the card. The the card is punched and a new card is fed into the throat. The abutment is moved, for instance lowered, and the new card engages the rear edge of the punched card and pushes the punched card into the high speed feed device. Thus, the high speed feed device accelerates the punched card while the new card continues to enter the throat at a lower speed. The abutment is returned while or slightly after the punched card is being accelerated so as to be in position to block the new card as it is being fed into Patented Sept. 17, 1363 the throat of the punch machine. When the new card achieves the correct punch position (by being urged by a following card), the set of punches will have been programmed and/or otherwise prepared for a new punch-operation cycle.

An object of any invention is to provide a card feeding system for the punch station of a punch machine, wherein the punched card in the station is at least initially moved from the station by the propulsive force of a new card entering the station.

Another object of my invention is to provide a card feeding systemv for the punch station of a full field punch machine, wherein there are card feed and take-away devices which occupy no part of the area between the punch members and die plate.

Another object of my invention is to provide a card feeding and card removing system for the throat of a full field punch where the punched card is initially moved from the punch station by edge-engagement with a succeeding card whose propulsive force is sufiioient to move the punched card at least partially through the discharge end of the punch mechanism throat and into a takeaway device which accelerates the punched card.

To assure edge-to-edge contact of the cards as one pushes the other from the punch mechanism throat, I can rely on card hold-down devices to require the punched card and the new card to be coplanar. However, a feature of my invention is to have the punch mechanism throat of critical dimension so that one card cannot climb over or slip under the other. The necessary dimension is a function of card-thickness. The height of the throat passage (assuming the cards to be horizontally ted) must be slightly in access of the card thickness but less than the combined thicknesses of two cards.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent in following the description of the illustrated form of the invention which is given by way of example only.

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a card being punched after it has been fed into the punch station of a punch machine.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIGURE 1 but showing the card after the punch cycle has been completed and showing a new card approaching the punch station.

FIGURE 3 is a diagrammatic view similar to FIG URES l and 2 but showing the new card partially in the punch station and the punched card accelerated and completely withdraw from the punch station.

FIGURES 4-4c comprise a set of schematic diagrams showing the mode of operation of my system.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary elevational view with parts in section and showing by way of example a part of a selective multiple punch machine cap-able of 'making any or all perforations in the full field of the card in a single punching cycle, and schematically showing how my card feeding system can be connected with the punch machine.

FIGURE 6 is a largely schematic cross-sectional view of the machine in FIGURE 5, showing in detail how an embodiment of my present invention may be applied to the punch machine of FIGURE 5.

Preface FIGURES l-4c show how my system operates, and FIGURES 5 and 6 show one embodiment of my system applied to a full field, selective multiple punch machine. Cards (or sets as defined before) are fed by a conventional card feeder 1% (FIGURE 6) to my first feed device 12 (FIGURES 1-4-c) which operates at a predetermined speed. Device 12 individually feeds cards into the punch station of a punch machine, which is defined by throat 14 (FIGURES l-3). When a card, for instance, card A, is in the correct position within the punch station, the punch selection and actuation mechanism 16 operates the set of punches 18, i.e., any one or more thereof. Thereafter, card A is pushed by card B from a punch station to a second feed device 20, which preferably, operates at a, speed greater than the first feed device 12. Thus, card A is accelerated while card B enters the throat 14 defining the punch station.

FIGURES 44c show more clearly the features of my system. Card A is fed into the punch station at the speed of feeder 12 with card B following as. in FIG- URE 4. Abutment 24 at the discharge end of throat 14 blocks that end of the punch station, and card A is held in position against abutment 24 by card B which is urged forward by conveyor 12. At this moment, conveyor 12. will be slipping on card B. The set of punches is actuated and abutment 24 is lowered. Thus, the drive ing force of feeder 12 is transmitted to card A by card B because the conveyor 12 will no longer slip on card B. due to the lowering of abutment 24 (FIGURE 4a). As soon as card B pushes card A through the discharge end of the punch station a sufficient distance so that the leading edge of card A is engaged by the fast feeder 20 (FIGURE 4b), the latter feeder accelerates card A. This causes card A to separate from card B as shown in FIGURE 4b during which time the abutment 24 is timed to start its return to the throat-blocking position shown in FIGURES 4 and 4c. The separation between cardsA and B as shown in FIGURE 4b allows the abutment to move more easily between cards A and B prior to card B achieving the punch position (FIGURE 4c) by being pushed by the next succeeding card C. When in this position, cardB is ready for its punching cycle.

Punch Machine FIGURE is an elevational view of a selective multiple (full field) punch machine 30 similar to the machine disclosed in J. Rabinow Patent No. 2,732,900, although my system can be used with other machines. 30. has a frame 32, supporting a plurality of spindles 34 on which rockers 36 are mounted for oscillation. One end of each rocker actuates a punch member 38, of set 18' by depressing it, and the punch member is returned by spring 40, there being one spring associated with each punch member and rocker.

All rockers are capable of being operated in unison during each revolution of cam 42 which is attached to shaft 44 of motor 46. However, only those rockers which are interposed will cause the card to be punched, for example, punch 38;; and rocker 36a, FIGURE 5. This is accomplished by having a rocker actuation plate 50 provided with a slot 52 for each rocker and one interposer 54. Each time that cam 42 rotates, the cam follower 43, which; is attached to plate 50, is oscillated thereby elevating and lowering plate 50. During the time that the plate 50 is in the lowered position, the punch machine is programmed by operation or lack of operation of selected push-solenoids 58 to which the individual interposer bars 54 are pivotally connected. Thus, when plate 59. is in a lowered position (not shown) there is room in the slot 52 for one end of the rockers 36 and an adjacent end of an interposing bar. The interposed rockers, and consequently the punches associated with the rockers will perforate the card and the other rockers will remain at a rest position during a punch cycle.

FIGURES l-3 and 6 show the punch members of the set 18 located in openings 62 of the punch member guide plate 64. This is suitably fixed, for instance, by being attached to the frame 32 of the punch machine. Die plate 66 has its upper surface parallel to the lower surface of guide plate 64 to define the throat 14. The

Machine die plate 66 can be fixed to the frame of machine 30 or it can be vertically adjustable, as by screws 68 threadedly connected to the frame of the machine and swivelly connected with the die plate. There are two reasons for this adjustment, one being that within a small range, the height of the passage of throat 14 is critical, and another being that my punch machine can be adjusted to accommodate individual cards or card sets.

The normal speed feed device 12 (FIGURE 6) can be made of various kinds of card conveyors, as roller sets (not shown) belt sets, etc. I have illustrated a conveyor belt system having an upper conveyor 70 and a lower conveyor 72 whose adjacent flights operate in the same direction. The belts are required to. operate at the same speed, for example, by the engaging gears 74, 76' attached to one pair of conveyor rollers. The lower conveyor 72 is mounted on spindles 78 which are fixed to the frame of the punch machine, and the upper conveyor 7t) is vertically adjustable for the same reasons as adjustment of die plate 66 and also to selectively control friction. Thus, the spindles 80 of the upper conveyor are mounted in bearings connected with a vertically adjustable subframe 82 attached to the main frame of machine 30. The adjustable connection can be made in a number ofways, for instance, by screws 84threaded to the main frame of a machine and connected by swivels to the subframe 82. By using a pair of adjustable screws 84, I can independently adjust each end of conveyor 70 so that the card will be driven with more friction when it engages and initially drives the punched card (FIG- URE 4a) and be driven with less friction (allowing slippage as described before) as the card approaches the punching position (FIGURES 4b and 4c) and engages abutment 24. Additional, unpredictable factors such as humidity changes, sometime require compensation by friction adjustments such as these.

The high-speed device 20 which is aligned with the. discharge end of the throat 14, can be of any card-conveyor design. I have shown a pair of adjacent (or touching) friction rollers 88 and 90 which can be constructed at least in part of rubber, cellulose, other plastic foam material, etc. Rollers 88 and 90 are mounted; for rotation on frame-supported spindles and are coupled together for rotation, for instance, by enmeshed gears 92 attached to the rollers. Since device 20 operates at a speed greater than device 12, I have a reducer 94 driven, by the shaft 44 of motor 46, and a conventional drive connection 96 between the output shaft of reducer 94 and one of the rollers of conveyor 72. Shaft 44 of motor 46 is used to directly drive (without reduction) rollers 88 and 90, for instance by gearing, belting, etc.

Abutment 24 is located between the set of rollers 88, 90 and the discharge end of throat 14. It is capable of moving, e.g., reciprocating, to the throat blocking and non-blocking positions in time with the punch actuation. mechanism and the card-feed devices. In fact, in my punch machines as the others of which I am aware, all of the units are synchronized. To show synchronization, I have a earn 100 attached to the same shaft 44,;as the punch mechanism driving cam 42. The cam 100 is designed in a manner that the motion imparted to abutment 24 is sequenced and synchronized as shown in FIGURES 4-4c. Although the abutment 24 can he a plurality of; fingers, pins, etc., I have shown it as ajflat plate for simplicity, and the plate has a push rod 102, (FIGURE 5) which is constrained to vertical motion by means of guide 104. One end of rocker 106 extends loosely through an aperture in the push rod, the other end of the push rod engages cam 100. The rocker and push rod are biased in one direction by means of spring 108 to keep the rocker 106 in, contact with earn 139. Rocker 106 pivots about fulcrum member 110, so that upon rotation of shaft 44, the rocker is raised and lowered, thereby reciprocating the abutment 24 in time with the punch mechanism 18 of punch machine 30. Where the conventional card feeder (FIGURE 6) is used, this also can be synchronized with shaft 44.

When my system is used with a full field punch machine, the necessary components can be installed as a part of the complete machine as I have shown and described. The components may be housed as shown in FIGURE 6 with tapered inlet and outlet slots :120 and 122 for the cards. Also the entrance or inlet end of throat 14 can be tapered (as shown) to facilitate the entry of the card into the punch station.

Various changes, modifications, alterations and the like may be made without departing from protection of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a card punch mechanism having a throat for a card While it is being punched, first feed means exterior of said throat to feed .a first card into said throat for the punching ope-ration land to feed :a second card into said throat to engage the edge of said punched card and push it partially out of said throat, and second feed means also on the exterior of said throat to withdraw the punched card from the second card as the second card continues to move into said throat.

2. In a card punch mechanism having a troat to accommodate a card while it is being punched, first feed means exterior and in front of said throat to feed a first card into said throat for the punching operation and to feed a second card into said throat to engage the rear edge of said punched card and push it partially out of said throat, second feed means also on the exterior of said throat to accelerate said punched card and withdraw it from the second card as the second card continues to move into said throat, and abutment means synchronized with the movements of said cards to form a stop at the discharge end of said throat for the second card as it approaches and reaches the end of said throat.

3. The subject matter of claim 1 wherein there is a card stop in said throat, and wherein the card clearance in said throat with a card therein is less than the thickness of a card to assure edge-to-edge engagement while the second card is pushing the punched card out of said throat and a third card is pushing the second card against said stop to the punch position.

4. In a card punch mechanism having a set of punches and a die with a throat therebetween to receive substantially the entire card during the punching operation, the improvement comprising a system to remove a punched card from said throat and feed a new card into the throat, said system including a first card feed means operative at a first speed to propel a card edgewise into said throat, the card-passage of said throat being only slightly thicker than the thickness of a card so that as the new card is propelled into said throat the said first card teed means propulsion of the new card provides the force 'for pushing the punched card from said throat; and second feed means at the discharge end of said throat, which are openative rat a greater speed than said first feed means, to accept the punched card and accelenate it as it is withdrawn from said throat during the entry of said new card.

5. The subject matter of claim 4 and an abutment at the discharge end of said throat; and means synchronized with said set of punches for moving said abutment across said throat at a time that it is in the new card blocking position when the new card reaches said abutment.

6. In a full field card punch mechanism having :a set of punches, a punch guide member, punch operating means, 'and a die which is spaced from said guide member to form a card throat having a card inlet and a card discharge end, the improvement comprising a system to feed and remove cards from said throat in a manner that propulsions of the cards is accomplished by means spaced zfirom the card-punch area in the throat, said system including a first feed means at the inlet of said throat which are operable at a speed sufiicient to positively feed a card at least part of the way into said throat, abutment means at the discharge end of said throat to stop the card, means synchronized with said punch operating means to thereafter withdraw said abutment, second card feed means at said discharge end of the throat, means to actuate said second card feed means at a speed greater than said first card feed means, said first card feed means coacting with a new card and thereby forming the means to remove the punched card from said throat by feeding the new card into said inlet of the throat and having it push the punched card into said second feed means, said second .feed means accelerating the punched card and pulling it away from the new card to leave said throat while the new card continues into said throat at a slower speed by the pushing force of a succeeding card during which said synchronized means will have again moved said abutment across the dis charge end of said throat.

7. The subject matter of claim 6 wherein said throat has a thickness dimension greater than the thickness of one card and less than the combined thickness of two cards to assure the said edge engagement of the punched and new cards.

8. The subject matter of claim 6 and means for adjusting the relative spacing of said punch guide member and said die to adjust the thickness of the card throat.

9. The subject matter of claim 2 and means for adjusting the thickness of the card passage defined by said throat.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,763,067 Schaafi June 10, 1930 2,741,312 Johnson :Apr. 10, 1956 2,857,001 Braun Oct. 21, 1958 3,021,999 Blanz Feb. 20, 1962 

1. IN A CARD PUNCH MECHANISM HAVING A THROAT FOR A CARD WHILE IT IS BEING PUNCHED, FIRST FEED MEANS EXTERIOR OF SAID THROAT TO FEED A FIRST CARD INTO SAID THROAT FOR THE PUNCHING OPERATION AND TO FEED A SECOND CARD INTO SAID THROAT TO ENGAGE THE EDGE OF SAID PUNCHED CARD AND PUSH IT PARTIALLY OUT OF SAID THROAT, AND SECOND FEED MEANS ALSO ON THE EXTERIOR OF SAID THROAT TO WITHDRAW THE PUNCHED CARD FROM THE SECOND CARD AS THE SECOND CARD CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO SAID THROAT. 